III. This sapient age disclaims all classic lore ; Else I lould liere in cunning phrase display, How forth THE Minstrel fared in days of yore, Right glad of heart, though homely in array ; His waving locks and beard all hoary grey : And, from his bending shoulder, decent hung His harp, the fole companion of his way,

Which to the whistling wind responsive rung: And ever as he went some merry lay lie sung.

IV. Tret not yourselves, ye filken suns of pride, That a poor wanderer Thould inspire my train, The muses fortune's fickle smile deride, Nor ever bow the knee in Mammon's fane ; Tif their delights are with the village train, Whom nature's laws engage, and nature's charms :They hate the sensual, and scorn the vain ;

The parasite their influence never warms, Nor him whore fordid soul the love of wealth alarms.

V. Though. richest hues the peacock's plumes adorn, Yet horror screams from his discordant throat. Rife, fons of harmony, and hail the morni, While warbling larks on rusiet pinions float; Or seek at noon the woodland scene remote, Where the

grey

linnets carol from the hill. O let them ne'er with artificial note,

To please a tyrant, Arain the little bill, But fing what heaven inspires, and wander where they

will.

VI.
Liberal, not lavil, is kind nature's hand;
Nor was perfection made for man below.
Yet all her schemes with nicest art are plann'd,
Good counteracting ill, and ladness wo.
With gold and.gems if Chilian mountains glowo

XX

T H E

MI N
M IN S T R E L;

;

A

The steep where Fame's proud temple shinesafar !!
Ah! who can tell how many a soul sublime
Has felt the influence of malignant ftar,
And wag d with Fortune an eternal war!
Check'd by the scoff of Pride, by Envy's frown,
And Poverty's unconquerable bar,

In life's low vale remote has pined alone,
Then dropt into the grave, unpitied and unknown!

II.
And yet, the languor of inglorious days,
Not equally oppressive is to all.
Hins who ne'er listen’d to the voice of praise,
The filence of neglect can ne'er appal.
There are, who, deaf to mad Ambition's call,
Wou'd shrink to hear th'obftreperous trump of Fame z.
Supremely bleft if to their portion Call

Health, competence, and peace. Nor higher aim Had He, whose fimple tale these artless lines pro III. This fapient age disclaims all classic lore ; Else I Thould liere in cunning phrase display, How forth The Minstrel fared in days of yore, Right glad of heart, though homely in array ; His waving locks and beard all hoary grey : And, from his bending shoulder, decent hung His harp, the fole companion of his way,

Which to the whistling wind responsive rung: And ever as he went some merry lay lie fung.

IV.
Iret not yourselves, ye filken fons of pride,
That a

poor wanderer should inspire my train,
The muses fortune's fickle smile deride,
Nor ever bow the knee in Mammon's fane ;
Tiertheir delights are with the village train,
Whom nature's laws engage, and nature's charms :
They hate the sensual, and scorn the vain ;

The parasite their influence never warms, Nor him whose sordid soul the love of wealth alarms.

Though. richest hues the peacock's plumes adorn,
Vet horror screams from his discordant throat.
Rife, fons of harmony, and hail the morn,
While warbling larks on rusiet pinions float;
Or seek at noon the woodland scene remote,
Where the grey linnets carol from the hillo
O let them ne'cr with artificial note,

To please a tyrant, Atrain the little bill,
But sing what heaven inspires, and wander where they

will.

VI.
Liberal, not lavil, is kind nature's hand; ;
Nor was perfection inade for man below.
Yet all lier schemes with nicest art are plann'd,
Good counteracting ill, and gladness wo.
With gold and.gems if Chilian mountains glowg

If bleak and barren Scotia's hills arise ;
There plagie and poison, luft and rapine grow;;

Here peaceful are ibe valçs, and pure the skies, And freedom fires the soul, and sparkles in the eyes.

VII. Then grieve not, thon to whom the indulgent Myfe Vouchlafes a portion of celellial fire ; Nor blame the partial lates, if they refuse Th' imperial banquet, and the rich'attire. Know thine own worth and reverence the lyre. Wilt thou debase the heart which God refin'd ; No; let the heaven-taught soul, to heaven aspire

To fancy, freedom, harmony, relign'd;
Ambition's groveling crew for ever left behind.

VIII.
Canst thou forego the pure etherial soul
In each fine sente so exquisitely keen,
On the dull couch of Luxury to loll,
Stung with disease, and Itupified with spleen;
Eain to implore the aid of Flattery's screen,
Even from thyself thy loathsome heart to hide,
(The mansion then no more of joy serene)

Where fear, distruít, malevolence, abide,
And impotent desire, and disappointed pride?

ix.
O how canst thou renounce the boundless store
Of charms which Nature to her vot’ry yields !
The warbling woodland, the resounding shore,
The pomp of groves, and garniture of fields ;

,
All that the genial ray of morning gilds,
And all thai echoes to the fong of even,
All that the mountain's sheltering hosom fields,

And all the dread magnificence of heaven, O how canst thou renounce, and hope to be forgiven!

X. These charms shall work thy soul's eternal health, And love, and gentleness, and joy impart.

But these thou must renounce, if luft of wealth
E’er win its way to thy corrupted heart;
For, ah! it poisons like a scorpion's dart ;
Prompting the ungenerous wish, the felish fcheme.
The ftern refolve, unmov'd by pity's smart,

The troublous day, and long distressful dream.Return, my roving Mufe, resume thy purposed theme.

XI.
There liv'd in Gothic days, as legends tell,
A shepherd-swain, a man of low degree ;
Whose fires, perchance, in Faryland might dwell,
Sicilian groves, or vales of Arcady;
But he, I ween, was of the north countrie :: *
A nation fam'd for fong, and beauty's charms;
Zealous, yet modeft; innocent though free ;

Patient of toil; ferene amidst alarms,
Inflexible in faith ; invincible in armi.

XII.
The shepherd-fwain of whom s mention made,
On Scotia's mountains fed his little flock;
The fickle, scythe, or plough, he never swaydi;
An honest heart was almost all his stock ;
His drink the living water from the roek;
The milky dams supplied his board, and lent,
Their kindly fleece to baffle winter's shock;

And he, though oft with duit and sweet besprent, Did guide and guard their wanderings whersoe'er they

went.

There is hardly an ancient Ballad, or Romance, wherein a Minstrel or Harper appears, but he is characterised, by way of eminence, to have been “ Of the North countrie.” It is probable that under this. appellation were formerly comprehended all the provinces to the North, of the Trent.

See Percy's Essay on the English Minftrels.